LEAP have not received support from Scottish Government Keep Scotland Beautiful Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) this year. This has unfortunately meant some changes in our team and impacted the support available to our communities.

We had hoped Climate Challenge Fund would support our planned Brighter Warmer Renfrewshire Project including activities for energy advice in local homes, environmental education with schools and groups, and a focus on single use plastic and litter reduction in Renfrewshire. This outcome has resulted in 8 valuable dedicated members of LEAP team being subject to compulsory redundancy.

Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP) SCIO (SC044019) voluntary Board of Trustees continue to run LEAP as an environmental charity and social enterprise. LEAP Carclub and LEAP business consultancy continue long-term as sustainable social enterprises. In the short-term our energy team will continue to deliver our committed energy efficiency measures for those at risk of or living in fuel poverty. We will endeavour to secure further funding to continue to deliver this very valuable and needed work for those most vulnerable in our communities.

We are committed to our dedicated practical climate change action through supporting individuals, families, groups, organisations and businesses across Renfrewshire to reduce our carbon footprints. We are actively seeking new business and funding opportunities to support this work into the future. Our huge thanks to our fantastic LEAP Team over the years, all our voluntary board of trustees past and present, and all of you in our communities who have taken part, supported and inspired us to collaboratively deliver our actions on climate change.

Any questions, ideas or joint working opportunities, please do get in touch!

LEAP Benefit from Climate Challenge’s latest round of Funding to Local Communities to help tackle Climate Change – with a further 12 months of funding for 2 exciting projects

The latest round of Climate Challenge Fund awards will see 33 community-led projects share £2.86 million, Climate Change Minister Aileen McLeod announced at the end of January.

The Fund has helped communities throughout Scotland reduce, reuse and recycle their waste, increase the energy efficiency of homes and community buildings, encourage active travel and the use of low-carbon transport, and promote and produce local food.

LEAP (Local Energy Action Plan) has secured £129,884 over a 12 month period from 1st April 2015 to enable householders in Houston, Crosslee, Brookfield, Lochwinnoch, Kilbarchan and Bridge of Weir to reduce the amount of energy they use in their homes and daily lives. The Calder and Gryffe Community project will focus on areas requested by the communities and will be delivered by a local community charity that aims to help residents improve carbon efficiency. Project activities will include home energy advice, an energy shop, development of a community wood fuel co-op and a Centre of Carbon Excellence, plus further promotion of LEAP Car Club and support for electric vehicles.

LEAP’s (Youth Engagement Programme) Yep! will benefit from £56,919 over a similar time period to run is a series of hands-on green vocational skills workshops, pop-up events and social gatherings devised by and for young people across the four communities of Lochwinnoch, Bridge of Weir, Howwood and Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire. Through a range of engaging activities the project will enable young people to learn about their environment and gain practical skills they can use to reduce their carbon emissions.

Carol Gemmell, LEAP Project Manager said ‘ We are delighted that further funding has been secured to allow the LEAP project to continue to deliver services within our local communities. To be able to expand the Youth Engagement Pilot, devised by local young people, is particularly exciting”.

The Scottish Government announced in March that 43 community groups across Scotland have been awarded over £6.9 million for the next three years under the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF). LEAP are delighted to be one of these 43 projects.

A total grant of £442,500 has been awarded to LEAP through LMEG over a period of 3 years to enable householders in Lochwinnoch, Howwood, Kilbarchan and Bridge of Weir to reduce energy wasted in their homes. The project will develop car clubs and lift sharing schemes, expand local food producing initiatives and provide greater access to climate change information through local schools and other organisations working with children and young people in these local communities.

CCF helps communities reduce their carbon footprints and contribute to Scotland reaching its ambitious climate change target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The current round of applications, assessed by an Independent Grants Panel, also introduces the first successful intake of applications for the Junior Climate Challenge Fund; 20% of the funding allocated to LEAP is through the Junior Fund.

The project team, group volunteers, steering group and LMEG are delighted with the news and want to thank the villagers of Lochwinnoch, Kilbarchan and Howwood for their support and enthusiasm for the project over the past 2 years. It was because of successful uptake of the project to date, and a clear direction from the community on how the project should grow, that has secured this fantastic support for our villages.